Brought to you by Limagrain
Pit competition winner reaches 1.061 VEM
No fewer than 1.163 maize growers from the Netherlands participated this winter in the 'National VEM competition' of maize breeder Limagrain. The feed quality harvested last year was very high on average. This came out at 1.008 VEM for all maize silages submitted. The 2 best pits this time are both in Friesland.
The fact that the 2018 growing season was extreme is also reflected in the silage analyses. As is known, the starch content (369) remains behind, because the flask setting and grain filling (due to the drought) was not optimal on many plots. The average VEM (1.008) is nevertheless very high. So there is a lot of nutritional value from the maize plants.
| Percentage of dry matter | WHO | Starch | NDF digestibility | |
| Total corn silage | 38,8% | 1.008 | 369 | 55,1% |
| Corn pits without LG | 38,7% | 997 | 363 | 53,9% |
| Corn silages with 100% LG | 38,8% | 1.013 | 370 | 55,8% |
Perfect corn silage
The very best silage analysis this time comes from Melkveebedrijf Noordzigt from Sint Jacobiparochie. With a percentage of 38% dry matter, a VEM of 1.061, 396 grams of starch and an NDF digestibility of 55,9%, the maize silage of LG 31.205 and LG 31.211 contains a perfect feed quality.
With a percentage of 2% dry matter, a VEM of 36,6, 1.059 grams of starch and a cell wall digestibility of 420%, the number 54,8, however, is not inferior. the mts. T. and F. Huitema-Brouwer from Oudehaske, Friesland, grew the maize variety LG 2018 in 31.218. The bonus prize went to Dairy Farm De Koeweiden from Den Hout in Brabant.
Insight into practical performance
"As the only maize breeder in the Netherlands, we test our new hybrids extensively on trial fields throughout Northwestern Europe. However, the VEM competition also provides a great insight into the performance of the varieties in practice," explains Jos Groot Koerkamp of Limagrain. "We see our focus on nutritional value from starch and plant digestibility reflected in these figures every year, and that is where the grower's return should come from."
